A Love I Never Knew
by firelunamelody
Summary: Serenity comes back into Cloud's life after travelling for Reeve. But does Vincent recognize the girl that once wrecked havoc on his life? VincentxOC
1. Chapter 1

_Hey! Firelunamelody here! Yes, well I have a new story. Please R&R!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (well, except for Serenity)_

_A/N: This story does not follow FFVII plot. It follows my own.

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**A Sweet Reunion**

A young girl walked through the rose garden of her beloved home. She breathed in the scent she had not smelt in nearly five years.

A pair of crimson eyes followed unseen.

Vincent Valentine was sitting on the balcony of the huge manor that was his home.

It had been his home since Cloud had invited him to live here. How he came to owning it, he wasn't sure. He just hoped that Cloud didn't steal it.

"Vincent? You in here?" Vincent looked towards his open door, a curious Cloud peering into the darkness.

"Vincent, why are you sitting here in the dark?"

Vincent smirked as he watched his friend clumsily make his way out to the balcony.

"I was watching someone walk through the gardens."

"Who?"

Vincent just shrugged. "A girl. Looked about nineteen."

Cloud face lit up. "Ooh, she's finally here!"

It was Vincent's turn to look confused.

"Who's 'she'?"

"Come down and I'll show you!"

Hesitantly, Vincent allowed his eager companion drag him downstairs.

A subtle knock echoed through the empty entrance hall.

Reeve Tuesti, awoken by the sound, yawned and went to answer the door.

"Hello?"

"Reeve!"

Serenity Strife looked at her boss through emerald eyes, her smile still reflecting her youth.

"Well, well, Serenity. It looks like you've been through hell."

Serenity was wearing black pants and hunting boots, a black jacket with a red top underneath and she was sporting a lot of bandages.

"Well, being a mercenary _does_ come with its risks, yanno."

Reeve sighed. "Come on in, Cloud should be down in a minute."

Dropping her bags in the foyer to be picked up later, Serenity looked at her home.

"Ya think that Cloud would have done something to make this place a bit more homey. Still looks too rich for my likings." Serenity made a face and turned towards the living room where a commotion seemed to be stirring up.

"Oh come on! I had it first!"

Reno was waving a chocolate bar high in the air, where Yuffie couldn't reach it.

"If you can reach it, you can have it."

"Sounds fair to me." A shuriken flew through the air and snatched the bar out of Reno's hand.

It then lodged itself in the wall next to Serenity, who pulled off the chocolate bar, unwrapped it and began to eat it.

"Hey! No fair!" Yuffie cried, pouting.

"Cool it, Kisaragi." Serenity smirked.

Reno looked at the girl, finding it had to place her.

"Um, who are you again?"

Serenity and Yuffie looked at each other, then dropped on the floor laughing.

Cloud, who had just appeared, looked as if he was trying not to laugh.

"Reno, this is Serenity, my sister. You remember? She was Reeve's hired gun in the last war we fought in. You had a crush on her."

Reno suddenly remembered the sixteen year old, who had manage to take out half an army with one bomb.

"Man, have you grown." Reno said, studying her carefully.

Serenity snickered, watching Reno's red face.

That's when she noticed someone with an awestruck look on his face, watching from behind her brother.

_That's the stubborn little bitch whom I was forced to train three years ago?_

Vincent found it hard to believe that that little snitch had turned into a clever, quick-witted young lady.

"Hello, Vincent." Serenity said calmly. "It's been a while."

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_First chappie done! As for my other story... um, I've hit writers block._

_Ah, well. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Welcome to the second chapter! Hope you like it!_

_Read on!_

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You're Still The Same Girl?**

Vincent stared at Serenity, shock evident on his face.

"You're the same girl that set fire to my cloak, poured ice down my shirt, hung my boxers on a flagpole and put bugs in my soup, right?"

Serenity flushed slightly and hung her head shamefully as the others laughed.

"Yeah… Sorry about that. I was reckless back then."

Reeve smiled fondly. "You still are."

Serenity looked up and poked her tongue out at him. "Only for you, _darling_."

She smirked as Reeve shuddered slightly. Only Vincent didn't find it funny.

For some strange reason he found it somewhat painful that she had addressed him like that, even if it was only a joke. The unfamiliar pang of jealousy cut into his heart like a knife.

Serenity picked up his uneasiness. "Hey, Vince, what's eating ya?"

Vincent looked up, trying to force the unwelcome feeling away. "Nothing."

Serenity shook her head. "Ah, well." Yawning loudly, Serenity got up and looked around. "Well, I need some sleep. I've been traveling too much without any rest."

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Has anybody taken the room at the very top of the west wing?"

Everybody shook his or her heads.

"That's door locked tight."

Serenity smirked. "Good, then my magic has improved after all." Waving goodnight to all, Serenity ascended the stairs all the way to the top. Walking down the familiar corridor to her room, she stopped at the only spare room on her side of the manor.

Curious, she tried the door. It was unlocked.

Opening it slowly, she took one good look and immediately knew whose room this was.

Closing the door shut, Serenity wondered why Vincent, of all people, would leave his door unlocked when he was so finicky with people touching his stuff.

_Boys_. Serenity waved a hand over the locked door of her room. The lock clicked and the door swung open. Stepping in, she could she that her loyal companion had kept his promise. Her room was clean, free of dust, cobwebs and other things.

"Ruby did a good job." She mused.

"Glad you liked it." A slender fox had appeared on the windowsill, tail swinging gracefully in the wind.

Ruby jumped in and took a look at his handy work. "It was a killer, trying to clean the windows, but Sapphire and Emerald gave me a hand."

Serenity smiled, remembering the unicorn foal and the dragon hatchling she had found a week before she had left.

"How are they? I hope they didn't give you too much trouble."

Ruby just chuckled. "Naw, they were fine. Although they didn't like the fact that you let others live here without them knowing."

"Yeah, about that," Serenity sighed. "I was meant to warn you. But I wound up in hospital after a car crash on a highway. They didn't get hurt or come near the manor, did they? I never told my brother that I had some friend on this estate."

"Hmm, which one's your brother?"

"The one with a hair like a nest."

"Golden? Like a sun ray?"

"Yeah! That's the one!"

The two friends stayed up all night catching up on gossip.

Meanwhile, Vincent was trudging back to his room.

"I still can't believe that that girl is my little Serenity. The same girl who used to cry whenever I teased her, or get her brother on me when I hurt her. She seems so mature now."

Vincent sighed and opened the door to his room. Everything was still the same, save the fact that there was a lingering smell of roses in the air that wasn't there before.

It opened up a memory from a long, long time ago.

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_Yeah, well, second chapter up!_

_Still stuck on my other story._

_Next chapter: vincent remembers a certain memory that reveals a stunning secret even Vincent doesn't realize!_

_What is it? R&R to find out!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Well. Here's another chapter! Isn't this story cruising along well?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except for Cloud's lil' sis!

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**Vincent's Memory**

"Well, whatcha think?"

A proud sixteen year old held her head up high. Serenity had just declared her plan on taking out the Empire's Army.

Reeve scratched his head. "Well, I think-"

"The plan is dumb."

Everyone turned to see Vincent, arms folded snugly across his chest.

Serenity pouted. "What do ya mean _dumb_?"

"It's too predictable."

Cloud shook his head. "I think we should just try it."

Serenity drew a diagram of the canyon.

"Okay, there's a big pile of rocks that we can use to either cut them off or I was actually thinking of dumping it on them, yanno like crushing them to death. What we need to do is place a bomb in the right place…"

Vincent relaxed, staring freely at his apprentice.

_It's amazing to see how much she has grown in the past year…_ Vincent sighed.

_Yet, she still acts like a kid._

He remembered the incident earlier this morning.

"Aww, come on. You need to eat something." Serenity was hovering above the slumped figure of her mentor.

"You're meant to be a role model for me! You're not doing a very good job of it." Serenity pouted.

Vincent let out a snigger. "Yeah, it's not like you actually listen to me."

The pout turned into a thoughtful expression. "Hmm, guess you're right." She smiled brightly. "If ya don't eat it, I'm telling Aerith!"

That made Vincent sit up and wolf down his porridge. It tasted a little off, but he just assumed that that was because he let it stand for too long.

Finished at last, he glared at his young companion.

"There. Happy?"

Serenity nodded a smile on her face. "Yep."

Sighing, Vincent got up and turned to exit the tent. That's when he noticed an odd look on Reno's face. Vincent cocked his head in a silent questioning manner.

"Didn't that taste foul?"

Confused, Vincent nodded his head slightly.

"Then why'd ya eat it?"

A shrug was his reply.

Reno shuddered and muttered, "Ick."

Vincent's keen ears caught the quiet word, and rounded on the red-head.

"What?" He asked exasperatedly. "What did I do?"

Serenity began to laugh. Vincent looked at her with a pointed glare.

"It's amazing." She said, clutching her stomach and covering her eyes, laughing hysterically. "I have never managed to feed Cloud a cockroach, but you just ate it! That must be a record for me!"

Vincent retched and went outside.

Reno and Serenity just continued laughing at him from inside the tent, laughing louder when the heard the splattering sound of Vincent chucking outside.

Vincent shuddered at the memory. Why he had eaten it, he didn't know.

At least he learned never to trust her after that.

Or so he thought.

Reaching for an apple took a huge bite out of it.

A foul taste was registered in his brain.

Quietly excusing himself, he went outside and spat the apple out.

Looking at it carefully, he saw a cleverly placed, half bitten worm inside.

Retching slightly, he dully remembered the apple that Serenity was playing with.

_Damn! Not again…_

Serenity came out of the meeting tent and saw Vincent leaning against a tree. A smirk slid on her face.

"Hi!"

Vincent glared at the chirpy voice.

"What now, Serenity? Come to laugh in my face?"

"No…" The tenderness of that voice made him turn around.

"I was just going to say sorry for the apple. It was actually meant for Cloud after he dacked me yesterday. Oh well. Here."

She held out a small vial.

Vincent eyed it suspiciously.

Serenity smiled sadly. "It's not jinxed. It's to get rid of the taste in your mouth."

Vincent opened it and downed it in one go. It tasted a bit like cherry.

"Thanks."

"No worries."

A faint blush came over both their cheeks, something that only Serenity had noticed at the time.

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Vincent sat up with a gasp. 

He had changed and lied down on his soft bed, reminiscing on that memory.

He had finally realised something.

He blushed at the thought.

Had Serenity ever notice that?

_Since when did I fall in love with my friend's little sister?_

He remembered a lot of times when his eyes roamed her slender figure, but he never saw Serenity catch him.

_Damn!

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_Well, that's this chappie done!_

_Next Chapter: Vincent faces Serenity the next day and is stunned to find out something he should have noticed, because Serenity obviously did! A close friend shows him what he should have realized all those years ago._

_R&R to find out!_


	4. Chapter 4

"Wakey, wakey…"

Vincent rolled over and continued to sleep.

"Mmm, leave me alone, Mummy."

Confused. "Mummy? Since went do you say that?"

"I wanna pet horsy."

"Yeah, fine. Only if you wake up, Vincent."

"Yay… nightie…"

"Ah, to hell with this!"

SPLASH!

"Ahh!" Vincent sat up, soaking wet.

"Hehehehe, wake up!"

Vincent looked around to find the source of the voice. He glared at Serenity and the empty bucket.

"Why'd you wet me for?" Vincent demanded.

Serenity just shrugged. "You wouldn't wake up."

Vincent got out of bed and started making his bed. A thought suddenly hit him.

"Where did you get the water from?"

A smirk told him he shouldn't have asked.

"Oh, your toilet."

"Yuck!" Vincent cried and he darted into the bathroom.

"Yeah, Cloud says to hurry up! We're to meet one of my friends!"

Snickering, Serenity muttered, "I was only _joking _about the toilet water."

Everyone was already downstairs by the time Vincent walked in.

They were all sitting in the lounge patiently waiting for Serenity's friend.

"So, how many are coming?" Cloud asked. Aerith was beside him, twiddling her thumbs.

Serenity shrugged "Hmm, from what they said, only one."

"_One_?" Reno exclaimed. "You've been gone for two whole years and you only had one friend?"

Serenity looked at Reno lazily. "No, I have plenty more. Its just that they're all busy at the moment."

Before Reno could ask why, somebody had knocked at the door.

"I'll get it." Serenity got up and made her way to the door.

"I wonder if it's a boy?" Cloud said, looking pointedly at Vincent.

Vincent just cocked his head in response.

_Why would I care?_ He thought.

"Hey everyone!" Serenity had come bounding in, a happy smile on her face.

"I'd like you all to meet my friend. Oh come on in here, Roxas!" A gorgeous young boy came walking in shyly. They all thought he looked a little bit like Cloud when he was younger.

"Hi." Roxas said, gazing around. He was fidgeting with the end of his jacket.

"I'm Cloud, nice to meet you."

"Aerith. Pleasure to meet you."

"Reno! Nice to meet ya, kid!"

"Vincent."

Serenity snickered at Vincent's greeting. It was what she had expected.

"So, um, how are you all?" Roxas asked, sitting near Cloud.

That got the conversation ball going. Serenity and Roxas was the centre of attention, until Yuffie came in.

"Hey everyone! I was looking for you… Who's this?"

Roxas and Serenity started to laugh.

"Yuffie, this is my best friend Roxas."

"Nice to meet you." Roxas said, taking her hand and kissing it.

Yuffie almost swooned. "Pleasure to meet you too…"

Serenity just laughed.

After a while, the conversation picked up again and everyone except Vincent was joining in.

Severely pissed off, Vincent up and went out of the room.

_Ooh, Vinnie having another silent tantrum?_ Chaos cooed in his ear.

"Shut up, Chaos." Vincent muttered.

"I knew you'd walk out."

Vincent turned around to see a smirking Cloud leaning against a pillar.

"You did?"

"Gods, Vincent." Cloud laughed. "You don't realise how open you are when it comes to jealousy?"

Vincent just glared.

"Serenity told me how to tell. You juts look into their eyes and you can see bits of green stirring behind."

"I'm not jealous of some princely brat, okay?"

_Sure you aren't. _Chaos chuckled.

"You stay of this!" Vincent muttered.

"No, you may not be," Cloud said crossing his arms snugly. "But you're very possessive when it comes to my little sis."

"Vincent whipped around again and stared into Cloud eyes, confirming what he had just heard.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Yep." Cloud strolled over to his oblivious friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You were obvious to the point that even your object of affection noticed. She just ignored it. If she hadn't, well she would have completely lost it.

Vincent hung his head in shame.

"Hey!" Cloud said cheerfully. "At least to still have a chance of wooing her."

"Not when she has the kid." Vincent said darkly, pointing at Roxas who was lying in Serenity's lap at the moment.

"Nah." Cloud looked at him too, a smile forming on his face. "I don't think that's the kind of relationship they've got. It's still a best friend kind of thing."


End file.
